


matters of the heart

by dutiesofcare



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Anakin Skywalker Needs a Hug, Angst, Baby Ani, Child Anakin, Family, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Gen, Hospitals, Movie: Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, father figure obi-wan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-16 05:08:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28825713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dutiesofcare/pseuds/dutiesofcare
Summary: Obi-Wan takes child Anakin to the medbay to remove the bomb from his neck.
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker & Shmi Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi/Anakin Skywalker
Comments: 8
Kudos: 186





	matters of the heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [liaskywalkerl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/liaskywalkerl/gifts).



> for lía

Upon first arriving on Coruscant, after the death of Master Qui-Gon Jinn, logically, the first step was to take child Anakin into the medbay so he could be properly taken care of after a lifetime of servitude.

Logically, it would be a piece of cake — they would go in, mend his small injuries, remove the bomb from his neck, and they would follow with their days as if nothing major had happened. 

Logically; Obi-Wan relied strictly on logic to carry out the hardest task he had been bestowed upon — to care for the Padawan that all the Master Jedis had turned their eyes to, his own Master’s final request before he passed away in his arms. So, when he walked young Anakin into the medbay and the child was met with absolute fear to that big strange unknown facility, breaking all rules of logic as he delved into his emotions, Obi-Wan didn’t know how to proceed.

When tiny hands clung desperately to his legs at the sight of enormous droids and equally big medical instruments, Obi-Wan became stiff and awkward. He had never cared for a child before and now an entire life relied on him; Obi-Wan’s heart thundered inside his chest amidst his despair.

“Anakin,” he tried, his voice a mixture of firmness and nervousness as he tried to remove a child from his legs. “There’s nothing to be scared of. This is the place where people go when they’re hurt and they want to get better.”

Awkwardly, Anakin pulled his arms back to himself; he had never felt so exposed.

“People don’t get better,” he mumbled under his breath, “When people get sick or injured, they die.”

Looking down on the small boy, Obi-Wan frowned; that seemed an awful way to live.

“Maybe that’s what happens on Tatooine, but not here on the Core Worlds, Anakin,” Obi-Wan told him. “Whenever you get hurt, you come here, and you’ll become good as new again.”

Thinking, Anakin seemed to enjoy that. He even looked up to his Master with expecting eyes.

“Can I get my heart fixed here too?”

Obi-Wan’s frown only intensified; he didn’t recall Qui-Gon saying anything about the boy having heart issues. He lowered himself on his knees until they were at the same eye level.

“Well — What’s wrong with your heart, Ani?”

Anakin merely shrugged. “It just hurts.”

Trying to be understanding, Obi-Wan nodded. “Do you think there’s a specific reason as to why your heart is hurting?”

“I guess,” Anakin pouted, “I miss my mom.”

Obi-Wan could only smile sadly at that. Like all the Padawans in the Temple, he did not remember his mother or his father. He had been taken away to start a life with the Jedi all too young. However — he still remembered he had been loved.

He couldn’t begin to imagine the pain that Anakin was facing; to be pulled apart from his mother and the only life he had ever known — it must hurt too badly.

“I’m afraid they can’t fix that kind of pain here,” Obi-Wan lamented. 

“Somewhere else, then?” he innocently, “This is the Core, after all. There _must_ be a way to fix my heart.”

“I’m afraid not, my young padawan,” he said. “Besides — that shouldn’t be something you would like to heal from. You should hold tight to your memories of her, that’s the only way you’ll learn how to let go. That’s the only way you’ll learn how to grow up.”

“I must let go to become a Jedi,” Anakin concluded, drawing in a long breath.

“I’m afraid so,” Obi-Wan concurred, “Now, why don’t we let these very friendly droids take care of you?”

“They’re not going to hurt me?”

“Not at all, I promise.”

Coyly agreeing with his head, Anakin let Obi-Wan put him over the medical cot.

“Things here are _so_ different than on Tatooine,” Anakin confessed in a small voice. “People there don’t care for anybody but themselves. I once became very sick, and my mom was _so_ worried. She thought I was going to die, so I thought I was going to die, too, and that made me very sad because I didn’t want my mom to be alone. In the end, I left her either way. I left her all alone on Tatooine.”

Obi-Wan took the liberty of sitting next to him as the droid came over onto Anakin. The boy gave it a dirty look but allowed it to come near him without panicking.

“Your mother wanted you to come, Anakin. She would have never wanted for you to stay the rest of your life living under the brute conditions of Tatooine, she would only want what’s better for you. And better — turns out to be here, with the Jedi.”

“I guess,” he mumbled, making a face when the pitch of a vaccine shot entered the skin of his upper arm. 

“I’ve been made aware that you’ve still got a bomb in your neck,” Obi-Wan said gently, “Even though it’s been deactivated, we shouldn’t leave it there.”

Out of habit, Anakin placed his hand over the spot on his neck where the bomb was kept under his skin. “It’s been here for so long.”

Obi-Wan gave him a small pat on the back. “It won’t be anymore.”

Still, Anakin seemed hesitant. 

“Does it really have to come out?”

“What’s the problem, Anakin?”

“I guess,” Anakin puffed, “It hurt a lot to put it there. Not even my mom holding my hand helped it hurt less. So, it’s going to hurt a lot to get it out, and my mom isn’t here to hold my hand anymore, so it’s going to hurt even more than it did back then.”

“It’s not going to hurt,” Obi-Wan assured, “They will anesthetize the area, so you won’t feel anything.”

“Ane—I don’t know what that means.”

“It means, they’re going to make you numb, so you won’t feel it coming out. How does that sound?”

“That sounds _impossible_ , Master.”

Obi-wan softly chuckled. “Well — I will also be here, to hold your hand.”

Anakin turned to him with big glossy eyes. “You will do that for me, Master?”

“Of course,” he said. “It’s quite easy, isn’t it? I just have to — grab your hand,” he grabbed it, “And hold it tight.”

Anakin beamed brightly at that.

“And if it hurts — I can squeeze your hand?”

“As strongly as you want.”

Proudly, Anakin nodded. Obi-Wan gestured so the medical droid would come in and do its work.

He thought they had finally surpassed all their small issues; then, Anakin started to hyperventilate at the sight of the droid approaching with a huge needle.

“Hey, hey, look at me,” Obi-Wan demanded, although his voice was sweet. Hesitantly, Anakin did. “Look at me, don’t look at the needle.”

Swallowing roughly, Anakin fixated his stare on his Master.

“You will feel a small punt,” Obi-Wan said, and Anakin prepared himself for the impact by making a face, a face that worsened when said needle made contact with the skin on the curve of his neck. To his surprise, it was over all too fast. “That’s it. You won’t feel anything now as they remove the bomb.”

Anakin held Obi-Wan’s gaze the entire time, being very still as he sensed the droid peeling at his neck, although couldn’t feel anything. Until there was a sound of metal falling over the table, and Anakin knew it was over.

He turned his eyes to the small device, silver and shining. He had always been enchanted with mechanics, so the first word to escape his lips was, “Cool.”

In disbelief at his sudden shift of behavior, Obi-Wan only chuckled.

“Can I keep it?”

Obi-Wan was _definitely_ not prepared for that.

“Hm — best not leave small children with bomb devices.”

“It’s not like I didn’t have it _all my life_ ,” Anakin argued. 

Obi-Wan tilted his head; that was, indeed, a very good point.

“I promise you will have a lot of trinkets to play with around the Temple,” Obi-Wan assured, “I will make sure to get you one myself to pass the time.”

Happily, Anakin bowed with his head.

“Are we done here?” Obi-Wan asked the droid; the droid confirmed. “Let’s go, then, Anakin. It’s time we get you your padawan braids.”

Anakin hopped off the bed on his own, still holding tight to Obi-wan’s hands as they made their way out. Thinking to himself that, even though he had lost his mom, he still had someone to unconditionally look after him.

**Author's Note:**

> leave me comments uwu <3


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